News Archive

NEWS ARCHIVE

Valuable items in backseats of cars are prime targets for vehicle break-ins. At about 3:20 a-m Monday morning St. Cloud Police arrived at the 1000 block of 12th Avenue South in St. Cloud for a reported car break-in. Police say a man entered an unlocked car and stole several items from the backseat. Witnesses describe the suspect as being a white man between the ages of 18 and 25 years old, between 5 feet 5 inches tall and six feet tall with a medium build. The suspect was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and multi-colored khaki shorts. Some of the items taken from the vehicle include a laptop, a cooler and a military helmet. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Saint Cloud Police Department.

An 18-year-old St. Cloud man has been arrested for trying to escape officers who were trying to pull him over for speeding. It happened shortly after midnight this morning. When officers from the St. Cloud Police Department attempted to pull over Brian Teigland on Highway 23 near 25th Avenue, police say he tried to shake off the officers by driving faster, making multiple turns, and running stop signs. Teigland is being held in the Stearns County Jail on charges of speeding, fleeing police, and reckless driving. No one was injured in this incident.

An Albany man was sent to the hospital this weekend after rolling his motorcycle in the ditch. Police say David Joseph Meier was traveling southbound on County Road 10 in Farming Township. That's when he got caught in the gravel shoulder and lost control of his bike. Police are still investigating the accident but say alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

Officers made three drunk driving arrests and issued seven drinking citations to minors on a 25 mile stretch of road Saturday in Stearns County. A group of area police departments joined forces to saturate highway 23 from Paynesville to Interstate 94. It’s part of the Central Minnesota Reduction of Accidents for Safe Highways Task Force, also known as the C.R.A.S.H Task Force. The goal is to reduce serious injury and deadly crashes on the road. In this particular initiative, 18 drivers were cited and 38 were issued warnings for speeding.

A ten year old boy was taken to the hospital after an ATV accident. On Sunday just before 4:00 pm, Stearns County Sheriff’s Department, Rockville Fire and Rescue, and Gold Cross Ambulance arrived at 25022 Halfman Road in Rockville for a reported ATV accident. A ten year old boy who was visiting the home was driving a 90cc ATV in the yard and he lost control and ran into a barb wire fence. The victim was treated at the scene and was taken to the Saint Cloud Hospital soon after.

Highway 10 between Benton County Road 20 and Benton County Road 4 will experience single lane closure and traffic shifts starting today. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will begin resurfacing. All work will be done during daylight hours.

Traffic will shift on to one lane through the work zone, directed by flaggers at intersections. Drivers are urged to slow down and be alert for flaggers, heaving moving equipment and loose gravel on the roadway surface.

Work will be suspended from noon on Thursday, July 23rd until 8AM on Monday, July 27th, to accomodate motorists attending Halfway Jam.

New unemployment and job loss numbers are out from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. During the month of June, Minnesota lost about 16,700 jobs and the unemployment rate jumped from 8.1% to 8.5%. That compares to a national unemployment rate of about 9.5%.

Across the state...the construction industry is adding jobs but at a slower rate than normal for this time of year. Temp jobs, an indicator that the economy is growing, were flat this month.

Minnesota has been on roller coaster ride of job losses and gains over the past 8 years. Large job losses started in 2001 with that recession...and bottomed out by 2004. Then Between 2004 and 2008 Minnesota began gaining the jobs back that it had lost. But DEED labor market research director Dr. Steve Hein says the state and the country are now moving the other way.

A small silver lining in a grim economic cloud...both DEED officials say on the national front the TED spread...a predictor of possible economic growth has returned to normal since 2006. Small numbers that will hopefully add up to put the state and the country back on the positive path.

For more information about job resources, contact the Minnesota Workforce Center. They can be reached at 1-888-Get-Jobs. You can visit their website as well at www.mnwfc.org

Due to the severe weather Tuesday night an event to raise money for a St. Cloud park was moved to Thursday night. The St. Cloud-Spalt Park Neighborhood pool party fundraising event will be held from 4:00 to 7:00p.m. Mayor Dave Kleis moved his weekly Town Hall meeting to the event tonight as well.

Wednesday at about 4:00 PM two cars were involved in a collision resulting in non life-threatening injuries. St. Cloud Police arrived to the scene along with Gold Cross and St. Cloud Fire Department to give medical attention to 28-year-old Na Oudom of St. Cloud. Oudom was stopped at the corner of Wilson Avenue and St. Germain Street East, attempting to make a right hand turn, when he was struck by 18-year-old Alex Wachmann of St. Cloud. Wachmann was traveling east on St. Germain Street East in the south lane. Wachmann struck the back of Oudom's vehicle.

Oudom was transported to the St. Cloud hospital by Gold Cross for non life-threatening injuries. Wachmann was cited for inattentive driving.

St. Cloud police responded to three separate burglary incidents Wednesday. The first call was just before 10a.m. to the 1600 block of 37th Street South. Someone entered a garage at the residence and stole items. The residents believe the burglary happened sometime early Tuesday.

The second call was to the 1500 block of Clearwater Road just before 8p.m. Police found that someone had kicked in the door to the residence and stole items. They believe the burglary happeneed between noon and 6:30p.m. Wednesday.

Finally, police were called just five minutes later to the 400 block of 17th Avenue North. Burglars got into this home by entering through an unlocked window. They stole a portable DVD player. No one was home at the time.

Police are seeking the public's help, contact them at 320-251-1200 or visit Crime Stoppers.

There was some minimal damage around the St. Cloud area after Tuesday afternoon's storms that blew through. Tornado warnings were issued for nearly two hours in Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties and sirens sounded between 5pm and 6pm. The bigger news is the amount of rainfall Central Minnesota experienced. Nearly three inches were recorded in some areas.

The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down in Spicer near Green Lake at 4:40p.m. Aside from buildings and homes damaged, no one was seriously injured. That slow moving storm moved over the St. Cloud area later.

St. Cloud State University lost some of its telephone services, which were being worked on Wednesday. The St. Cloud Riverbats postponed their game with the Alexandria Beetles. A make up date is still being arranged and tickets for Tuesday night's game are good for any future home game based on availability.

A St. Cloud man is in jail after breaking into a business early Wednesday morning. It happened around 2:40 a.m. in the 1300 block of 15th avenue Southeast. Police arrested 23-year-old David Paul Barkley. He was first taken to the Saint Cloud hospital to treat minor injuries he had gotten during the burglary. He's now being held in the Sherburne County jail awaiting 3rd degree charges.

Three men have been arrested after a yearlong investigation into the transport of methamphetamine from the State of Washington to Central Minnesota.

Over the last year, undercover investigators of the Central Minnesota Drug and Gang Task Force and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension purchased meth from a local drug trafficking organization that brought the drug to the area and sold it. More than 370 grams of meth were seized with a street value of $50-thousand dollars. Arrested were 49-year-old Marcial Landa Sr., 25-year-old Carlos Silva, and 22-year-old Jesus Silva Ibarra.

Landa, a previously deported felon, was living in St. Cloud under the alias Fidencio Perez Vasquez and is responsible for importing meth from Washington and distributing it in Stearns County. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Department says Landa was the head of Barrio Los Padrinos, the gang that distributed the drugs.

Landa is being held in Marion County, Oregon, on federal drug and immigration charges. Locally he is facing charges of first-degree sale of meth and firearms violations.

Silva was arrested Friday in Morrison County. He sold 1 ounce of meth for $1,900 in St. Cloud. Investigators found 6 ounces of meth and a handgun at his apartment and rental garage in St. Cloud.

Silva is in Stearns County Jail on a $350-thousand dollar bail. He is charged with four drug crimes, and also faces possible federal charges of firearm possession.
Ibarra was arrested Tuesday and faces charges of first-degree sales of meth.

The Sheriff’s Department says the Landa family drug trafficking organization has been the subject of narcotics investigations since 1999. Those investigations led to the arrests of extended family members and associates accused of distributing meth. Investigators anticipate more related arrests in the future.

The Saint Benedict's Senior Community in Monticello will host the "Heart Healthy Eating" presentation for seniors Thursday, July 16th from 2-3 PM. Registered Dietitian and Director of Nutrition Services at St. Benedict's Senior Community in Saint Cloud Kim Dodds-Thompson will present this free event. The Saint Benedict's Senior Community in Monticello is located at 1305 East 7th Street, and the presentation will be held in The Village.

This is part of a series of health care presentations for seniors being held at 2 PM on the third Thursday of each month at The Village. The August 20th topic is "Diabetes Management" by Laurie Barlett, who is the director of Home Care Services at St. Benedict's Senior Community in Monticello.

Space for these presentations is limited. To resevere your spot call (763)295-4051.

The south side of 7th Avenue and Highway 23 will be closed beginning Wednesday, July 15th to facilitate the planned construction of an intersection. St. Cloud's Engineer's office did not indicate how long the road would be closed.

The intersection of 5th Avenue and Highway 23 will open and remain open throughout the remainder of the project.